A Jasson Dominguez Walk-Off Shot Leads Yankees to Sweep of Rangers
The Yankees continued their hot streak with a three-game sweep against the visiting Texas Rangers. New York has won 11 of its last 14 games after defeating the Rangers 1-0 on Thursday afternoon.
On Tuesday, Aaron Judge hit the shortest home run of his career, a 326-foot two-run shot that snuck over the short porch in right field. New York led 5-0 after eight innings and won 5-2.
“We’ll take them all,” Judge told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “It counts the same as the longest one.”
Starting pitcher Will Warren exited the game in the bottom of the sixth inning after recording his 10th strikeout of the night. He allowed five hits in 5.2 impressive scoreless innings and averages 11.6 strikeouts per nine this year.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren (98) follows through on a pitch against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jacob deGrom kept the Yankees’ offense relatively quiet through the first six innings on Wednesday, as the only run scored before that point was an RBI groundout by DJ LeMahieu in the bottom of the second inning.
deGrom’s brilliance, which included seven innings of nine strikeouts and 98 mph fastballs, was not enough to lead his team to victory. Down 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Cody Bellinger lifted his eighth homer of the season, a solo shot, and the Yankees knotted the game at three on a two-out RBI single by Judge in the eighth.
Luke Weaver entered in the top of the ninth inning. He kept the Rangers’ offense at bay, setting the stage for left fielder Jasson Dominguez, who took a hanging slider from Luke Jackson to the second deck in right field to win the game 4-3 for the Yankees.
It was their first walk-off blast since Giancarlo Stanton’s grand slam against the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 20, 2022.
New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Domínguez (24) hits a walk-off home run against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. John Jones-Imagn Images
The Yankees faced a familiar opponent in Nathan Eovaldi on Wednesday, and although the right-hander managed to hold New York to one run in six innings, it was the lone run scored in the game.
Third baseman Jorbit Vivas hit the first home run of his career in the bottom of the fifth inning off Eovaldi, pointing to the Yankees’ dugout as he rounded first base.
Texas was held scoreless by Carlos Rodon for six innings, and Mark Leiter Jr., Devin Williams, and Weaver for one inning apiece in the 1-0 win.
Rodon struck out eight and leads the American League in the category with 80. The lefty looks more like the pitcher he was in 2022 with the San Francisco Giants, before he signed his six-year, $162 million contract with the Yankees.
“I don’t think he shook off one pitch; he trusted me calling the whole game,” Yankees catcher J.C. Escarra told Hoch about his and Rodon’s game plan. “We wanted them [Rangers] to put the ball in play, to put soft contact on the ground or in the air. We try to chase those punchouts, but when they’re not there, we’re getting outs. That’s what is most important.”
Up Next
The Yankees travel to Coors Field for a three-game series with MLB’s worst club, the Colorado Rockies. This season, the Rockies are 8-42 and are on pace to win an MLB record low 26 games, which would beat last year’s Chicago White Sox win-loss mark of 41-121, by plenty.
Image Credit: New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Domínguez (24) is mobbed by teammates after hitting a walk-off home run against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. John Jones-Imagn Images
More to come!